Vice President of Information Technology

About the Role >>> Vice President of Information Technology 

The Vice President of Information Technology will serve as Olema’s senior technology leader and will own the strategy, security, and day-to-day operations and delivery of the global IT function. This leader will identify, build, and refine the new and existing systems, technology, tools, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence capabilities the business requires as we advance our programs and toward our first potential product approval and commercial launch in the US. 

The role will partner closely with leaders across the business, including Commercial, Medical Affairs, Regulatory Affairs, Quality, Clinical Development, Pharmacovigilance, Manufacturing and Supply Chain, and G&A. The ideal candidate will combine hands-on IT experience and leadership, deep Microsoft and O365 expertise, and demonstrable commercial launch experience with a strong enterprise-wide mindset and sound judgment in a fast-paced, highly regulated environment.  This individual must also be an AI-forward leader and strong advocate for the rapid, responsible implementation of AI tools and frameworks to improve decision-making, productivity, service delivery, and organizational scalability. 

This position is based in Olema’s San Francisco office and will require regular travel to Boston and Ireland, as needed. 

Your work will primarily encompass: 

Enterprise IT Strategy 

• Define and execute a multi-year enterprise IT strategy and applications roadmap aligned with business goals across research, development, commercial, and corporate functions. 
• Set efficient and scalable architecture, integration, cloud, SaaS, data, and technology lifecycle standards that support growth without unnecessary complexity. 
• Establish a strategic and effective IT operating model, including internal capabilities, outsourced services, governance, and decision rights.  
• Establish disciplined intake, prioritization, funding, and delivery processes that make value, cost, risk, capacity, and dependencies visible. 
• Advise the Executive Committee on technology investments, performance, cybersecurity, and risk. 
• Own IT budgets, vendors, and major implementation partners. 

IT Operations 

• Accountable for the reliable operation of Olema's technology environment, including cloud services, networks, identity and access management, endpoints, collaboration platforms, telecommunications, conference-room technology, service desk, and end-user computing. 
• Ensure technology readiness for new offices, Ireland operations, commercial field teams, and workforce growth, including capacity planning, provisioning, connectivity, access, equipment, training, local support, and business continuity. 
• Own major IT incidents from detection through restoration, executive communication, root-cause analysis, and verified remediation. Ensure business-critical processes have tested recovery, manual workarounds, and accountable continuity plans. 
• Establish a senior client relationship model across every function, including regular roadmap reviews, service and project scorecards, demand planning, decision logs, and clear escalation paths. Ensure leaders understand priorities, constraints, ownership, and delivery commitments. 
• Partner with Finance to ensure systems and integrations support accurate, timely close and reporting, budgeting and forecasting, purchasing controls, vendor and expense management, SOX IT general controls, audit evidence, and scalable public-company operations. 
• Maintain disciplined technology asset and software license management across the full lifecycle, including procurement, deployment, inventory, maintenance, renewal, and secure disposition.  
• Develop effective IT reporting standards (e.g., dashboards, scorecards, etc.) to communicate network performance, incident trends, resolution times, employee satisfaction, adoption, security, controls, project health, vendor performance, budget, technical debt, and launch readiness. 
• Set targets for major IT investments, measure benefits following implementation, and use results to guide priorities and funding. Own the outcomes after implementation. Confirm configuration quality, integration completeness, data quality, control effectiveness, adoption, performance, support readiness, and realized value before a system is considered fully delivered. 
• Lead IT-related vendor selection, contract negotiation, governance, performance management, and renewal decisions in partnership with Legal, Finance, Procurement, and business owners. 
• Build and lead a high-performing team of individual contributors, managers, contractors, and managed service providers appropriate for Olema’s stage and growth trajectory. 

Regulatory Approval and Commercial Launch Readiness 

• Develop and own the integrated IT commercial readiness plan based on anticipated regulatory approval and launch timelines. Partner with Commercial and G&A leadership to define and execute the technology and data roadmap for launch. 
• Support Commercial in identifying the platforms and services required for a successful launch, including customer relationship management, field systems, commercial data and analytics, master data, digital engagement, market access, and patient support capabilities. 
• Partner with Manufacturing and Supply Chain to support product planning, inventory, distribution, third-party logistics, serialization and traceability, order management, and revenue reporting. 
• Support launch-critical Medical Affairs and Pharmacovigilance IT capabilities, including medical information, field medical operations, adverse event reporting, product complaints, and related safety obligations. 
• Ensure launch-critical IT systems have clear business ownership, requirements, validation or assurance strategies, integrations, support models, training plans, and contingencies. 
• Lead cross-functional IT readiness from requirements and vendor selection through integration, testing, training, cutover, stabilization, and post-launch support. 
• Identify critical-path technology risks early and manage dependencies, governance, readiness metrics, mitigation plans, and executive escalation. 

Cybersecurity, Compliance, and Risk 

• Develop and own the company’s cybersecurity strategy and control environment that protects systems, data, intellectual property, clinical and patient information, employee information, and regulated records. 
• Partner with Quality to maintain compliance with GxP, 21 CFR Part 11, SOX, privacy, computer system validation or assurance, data integrity, records retention, and applicable global requirements. 
• Partner with HR, Legal, Privacy, Quality, and Compliance to address applicable privacy and security obligations, including HIPAA, GDPR, state privacy laws, and relevant international requirements. 
• Oversee business continuity, disaster recovery, backup, incident response, identity and access management, endpoint security, vulnerability management, security monitoring, and third-party risk. 
• Maintain inspection and audit readiness, ensure critical vendors are appropriately assessed and monitored, and provide clear security, compliance, and risk metrics to executive leadership and the Board. 
• Apply a risk-based Computer Software Assurance approach to GxP systems and maintain sufficient knowledge of FDA CSA guidance to oversee validation strategy and challenge implementation decisions. 

Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation 

• Define the enterprise data and artificial intelligence strategy across scientific, clinical, commercial, and corporate priorities, with a practical roadmap tied to measurable business outcomes. 
• Establish an AI governance process in partnership with Compliance, Legal, and Quality, including risk-based review, data protection, human oversight, and controls for regulated use cases. 
• Build a secure data and platform foundation for artificial intelligence and measure adoption, time saved, cycle time, quality, cost, value, and risk. 
• Evaluate emerging technology with technical curiosity and disciplined experimentation. Scale solutions only when security, reliability, integration, support, adoption, and economic value have been demonstrated. 

Ideal Candidate Profile >>>  

Required 

• Strong understanding of biotechnology and pharmaceutical processes from development through commercialization. 
• Deep knowledge of commercial technology and data capabilities required for a United States pharmaceutical launch. 
• Ability to design and manage a clear company-wide architecture, with rigorous technical reviews, observable services, explicit service-level objectives, thoughtful automation, strong security, and excellent user experience. 
• Expertise and proven knowledge of the Microsoft/O365 environment and other enterprise applications, architecture, cloud and SaaS platforms, data, cybersecurity, service management, and responsible artificial intelligence. 
• Knowledge of GxP, 21 CFR Part 11, SOX, privacy, validation, data integrity, and vendor risk management. 
• Bachelor’s degree is required. An advanced degree in business, information technology, science, or a related discipline is strongly preferred. 

Experience 

• Minimum of 15 years of progressive information technology experience, including senior leadership responsibility in a biotechnology or pharmaceutical company.  
• Demonstrated success in building, leading, and developing high-performing IT teams, including individual contributors, managers, contractors, and managed service providers.  
• Direct responsibility and accountability for technology and data readiness supporting at least one United States pharmaceutical product launch. Demonstrated success building commercial and enterprise technology roadmaps and delivering complex platforms, integrations, data services, and operating models. 
• Experience leading IT operations across multi-site and distributed workforces, including infrastructure, cloud services, networks, workplace technology, end-user computing, service management, and managed service providers. 
• Experience leading cybersecurity, regulated systems, service delivery, data, and artificial intelligence programs with measurable results. 
• Experience partnering across Commercial, Medical Affairs, Regulatory Affairs, Quality, Pharmacovigilance, Manufacturing and Supply Chain, Finance, Legal, HR to deliver technology solutions that support the company's strategic objectives. 
• Experience selecting and implementing enterprise and commercial platforms, integrating third-party systems, and managing complex cross-functional programs and integrations. 
• Experience operating in a public company environment and supporting SOX, GxP, inspections, and audits. 
• Proven ability to advise executives and the Board, build teams, manage service providers, negotiate contracts, and control budgets. 

Attributes

• Strategic and pragmatic, connecting technology decisions to patient impact, company milestones, compliance, employee experience, and business performance. 
• Treats internal functions as strategic clients and enterprise systems as products with accountable owners, roadmaps, experience and reliability measures, lifecycle plans, and continuous improvement. 
• Simplifies through reusable patterns, coherent data and integration design, disciplined configuration, and clear standards while preserving the speed a scaling company requires. 
• Collaborative and low ego; builds trust, surfaces disagreements early, clarifies ownership, and reaches decisions that optimize enterprise outcomes. 
• Technically curious and credible, with sustained interest in architecture, data, security, automation, artificial intelligence, and dependable operations. 
• Decisive and transparent in prioritization, explaining what will be done, what will not, why, and what must change as resources, risks, or dependencies shift. 
• Cost conscious and value-oriented, with no tolerance for false savings that create fragile systems, poor adoption, control gaps, or recurring work. 
• Metrics oriented and accountable; defines outcomes, instruments services, measures benefits, learns from incidents, and adjusts investment based on evidence. 
• Clear and influential with technical teams, employees, functional leaders, executives, vendors, auditors, and the Board.
• High integrity, sound judgment, discretion, urgency, and resilience in a fast-paced and regulated environment. 
• Able to clearly and effectively communicate verbally and in writing with technical teams, business leaders, executive management, and the Board. 
• Strong commercial orientation and the ability to connect technology decisions to launch milestones, customer needs, compliance requirements, and business performance. 
• Metrics-oriented, with the discipline to define targets, measure results, and adjust investments based on evidence. 
• Collaborative and accountable, with the ability to lead through ambiguity and changing priorities. 
• Impeccable professional ethics, integrity, and discretion. 
• Committed to providing high levels of employee and internal customer satisfaction through exceptional IT operations. 
• Analytical thinking with the ability to manage and effectively prioritize competing priorities and adapt to a fast-paced environment within approved budget.

The base pay range for this position is expected to be $335,000 - $365,000 annually, however the base pay offered may vary depending on location, market, job related knowledge, skills and capabilities, and experience. The total compensation package for this position also includes equity, bonus, and benefits.

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